Auto reviews and blurbs

Tightly-written reviews on the newest and most interesting cars and trucks, plus blurbs on anything automotive: new products and accessories, local shows and announcements, surveys on top colors, economy.

Herald Blogs

Tuner heads aren't the only ones who like to out-customize their peers. Fifteen dealers within the Miami Ford Customer Service Division are currently competing to build the best Ford Focus targeting the youth market.

Actually, it started with the Focus but has grown to include the Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ. The competition, featuring Ford accessories, runs through the end of August.

Check out contestants and winners at Moroso Motor Park, in Palm Beach Gardens, on the Ford Power Fest Weekend on Oct. 18-19. Or visit Mustanggenerations.com as the competition progresses.

NOTE TO READERS: Taking a short blog break -- look for my rundown next week on the speedy Mercedes' C63 AMG.

Premier Financial Services, an industry leader in high-end, exotic and vintage auto leasing, came out with its list of the top-10 Leased Exotic Cars. Premier says around 20 percent of the exotics are leased, and the number is growing.

Here's their list of the most popular high-priced leases: 1.Ferrari F430 F1 Spider

Moments after throttling up Ford's newest Mustang Bullitt, two things happened: I started checking my rear-view mirror for a black Dodge Charger, and I felt the need to take this baby airborne. Heck, police inspector Frank Bullitt did it, flying down the staircase slopes of San Francisco -- and leaving our stomachs in our throats -- in what is still the most gripping car-chase in movie history.

Alas, try and find those kind of hills and dips in South Florida. And not one black Charger showed up all week -- the cowards!

Still, the look of Ford's newest Bullitt, its coloring, engine sound and performance add up to an even better Bullitt than the other version Ford produced from the previous Mustang design in 2001. Even Steve McQueen, who made the role and the car chase memorable, would have to concur.

This time around, the Bullitt takes a more subtle route. No floating pony in the grille (only horses you'll find are on the wheels). No spoilers or scoops that weren't on Bullitt's. There's a pair of stainless steel exhaust tips that probably weren't on the golden oldie. And a faux fuel filler in the middle of the decklid, embellished with a gunsight and the word Bullitt. I also found the Bullitt name also appears on door-sill plates and in the center of leather-wrapped steering wheel.

But, mostly, this is just a clean-line version of the '68 GT with the dark Highland Green paint from yesteryear (black is available in limited numbers but why would you?).

Engineers went to great lengths to reproduce the sound from the movie car, which may or may not have been the actual Stang's sound anyway. I can say there is at least a hint of that memorable rev in the '08, enough to elicit a grin when you step on it and turn down the Shaker audio system.

Forget McQueen's GT390. Power in the new guy comes from the same engine as in the GT, a 4.6-liter three-valve V-8. Ford did punch up the horses to 315, from 300, with 325 foot-pounds of torque at 4250 rpm, however. And the redline gets a 250-rpm increase.

Zero to 60 is rated at 5.2 seconds, nearly a second better than the GT. It's made possible by a five-speed tranny blessed with short gear ratios. It pops into gear with ease and the clutch is easy on the knee.

No automatic is available, by the way. If you're the McQueen type, Ford figures, you'll be needing to do the shifting in this rear-drive animal.

With the improvements, no one would complain if Ford injected more power into the Bullitt. I like the way it handles, though. It has more aggressive shocks and struts than the GT and corners cleanly.

EPA says to expect 15 mpg around town, 23 on the open road. Surely McQueen did no better.

Inside, retro rules with aluminum applique on the dash, and polished aluminum brake pedals and shift knob. Warning: The shift knob gets dangerously hot from the sun, I actually directed one of the AC vents down on it to make it touchable as soon as possible.

Speakers that jut out from the door can hamper the exit for six-foot-plus types. Banged my feet on them.

Only 7,700 Bullitts were to be built out of its Flat Rock, Mich. plant beginning in January. The 2001 models went fast, too.

This year happens to be, ironic or otherwise, the 40th anniversary of the Bullitt flick. If you haven't seen the movie, or it's been a long time, it's time for a Blockbuster night.

And if you're lucky enough to get behind the wheel of a Bullitt, try to ignore that black Charger in the rear-view.

If you see a bright-orange Toyota Yaris pull into your parking lot, and someone hops out to wipe down the car next to you, don't panic. It's probably one of the first 20 ecowash mobile USA cars that have arrived in Miami, aiming to scrub down cars without a single drop of water.

Spokesman Dennis Dougherty told me on the phone that Ecowash Mobile has washed hundreds of thousands of cars throughout Australia, France, Greece, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Saudi Arabia -- all without water.

For around $25, ecowash comes to your car, uses a polymer lubricant that lifts the dirt from the paint. The car is then wiped down with a soft cloth, leaving a protective coat behind.

Saves around 25 gallons of water at a car wash, or as much as 100 gallons if you use the garden hose, Dougherty says.

Can't vouch for the job; didn't get my car washed. But sounds like one more way to conserve water.